


My Name Is (Wearing Me Out)

by Ava_Writes_Alot



Series: Jugdral Character Backstories [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Depictions of Violence tag applies only because of some violent dark magic descriptions, Gen, Its very angsty but it gets happy so dw, M/M, Major Character Injury, Salem finding out who he truly is: the fic, Salem/Perne comes at the end, Worldbuilding, i went full ham on this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27233251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ava_Writes_Alot/pseuds/Ava_Writes_Alot
Summary: My Name Is Revenge And I’m Here To Save My Name
Relationships: Salem/Perne (Fire Emblem)
Series: Jugdral Character Backstories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074740
Kudos: 9





	My Name Is (Wearing Me Out)

**Author's Note:**

> Welllll this is a huge fic
> 
> This was meant to be a small little Saleperne/Pernem fic but it ended up becoming a character study soooo oops. 
> 
> Salem’s backstory is all in my interpretation. If you have a different backstory for him that’s okay!

“Someone has betrayed the Dark God and is trying to escape!”

The former Loptyrian mage panicked upon hearing a booming voice echo through the halls of the castle. He needed to flee as soon as possible, he did not want to be a servant to the Loptyr Cult anymore. He no longer understood their reasons. So he decided to leave the Church and take some children that were about to be used as sacrifices, along with him. He knew the consequences if he left, but he didn’t care. He wanted to save the children and restart his own life. Scanning through the pitch-blackness, he found a ray of light, a way out, it was far away, but he needed to get out with the children no matter what. 

He dashed as fast as he could towards the exit, running under adrenaline, his heart racing, breath unsteady and quick. Almost there, almost away from the Loptyrian Order. Then, just as he was about to make it, a bishop came in and blocked his path. He gasped as he let the children run towards the exit and tried to get past the multiple bishops gathered around him. 

He got caught, but that wasn’t stopping him; he had to get out, get out of that godforsaken place he spent his life in for so long. He stepped back and grabbed his Jormungand tome. The tome was heavy on his already weak and shaking body; he had trouble even casting a spell. He shot a blast of dark magic at the bishop, realizing that it did nothing. He should’ve known that, but he needed to secure the children’s escape. 

He stepped back again before bumping into another bishop. “Fuck…” he whispered. He was a goner for sure. Then as he was about to cast another spell, he was hit with dark magic, again and again, before he fell to the ground. 

It was all so clear now. He was going to die; he felt his entire body tremble with pain. He was surrounded, nowhere to run, he glanced over at the exit again and tried to move closer toward it. Then his head filled with darkness, he was used to that. He lived in darkness his whole life. He closed his eyes, and then he lost consciousness. He was left for dead.

* * *

The next time he awoke, was not in hell. He woke up in what looked to be a mansion. He was lying down on a bed, _‘Where am I? I’m still alive?’_ He thought. He tried to get out of the bed to look around the place and try to find someone, but his entire body was sore and in pain. Then a blue-haired man entered the room; he was accompanied by a little girl, “Oh! You are awake! Let Tina here heal you. We can talk after she does!” the man said.

“Who are you?” the dark mage asked.

“I’m Perne. I’m the leader of the Dandelion gang. This little girl is Tina, as I mentioned before! She is a cleric that works with me.” he said, patting Tina’s head while she was still treating the mage’s injuries.

“Hey! Don’t do that!” the cleric complained, frowning, and looking up at Perne.

“I’m just playing around, calm down little one!” 

Tina ignored him and continued to heal the Loptyrian priest.

“Why is a little girl working for you?”

“Oh! I just found her and decided to take care of her!” Perne said nervously; he then turned to the mage and asked, “Anyways, what is your name?”

He shook his head, “Hm, I don’t know. I never had a name. People in the Loptyr cult don’t have any names. Only the higher-ranked Bishops have them. Unfortunately, I was in the lower rank

group.”

“Wait, you worked for the Loptyr Church?!” 

He shrugged, “Mhm, but it’s a rather long story to tell. Perhaps I’ll talk about it someday.”

“Hm, anyway, how are you feelin’?”

“I feel better now, thanks to Tina.” 

“That’s good to hear! We will take care of you in the Dandelion!” Tina exclaimed.

“What is this Dandelion thing about?”

“Uh, I’ll let Perne explain it!”

  
“Well, this is a little hard to explain, but we technically steal from the rich and give to the poor. You can call us some sort of thief crew.”

The Loptyr Priest was iffy about that, but they saved his life, so he at least was grateful for that. “I don’t really mind,” he simply said.

Perne nodded, “Well, hey, that’s good, just rest now, okay?”

“Hey, how should we refer to you as? You don’t have a name,” Tina suddenly asked, interrupting them.

“Hm, I never thought about it,” the dark priest replied.

“We should give you one! Any ideas?” Perne asked.

“I have plenty of name ideas to go around!” Tina exclaimed. Then she started listing them, “Raigh! Canas! Etzel! Salem!”

“Salem...I like the sound of that one! What do you think?” 

That name struck him. Something about _Salem_ made him feel a familiar shock within his mind, “I like it. I think I’ll keep it!”

“Then Salem it is! That’s a cute name!” Tina cheered. 

And so began, his newer, much different life, as _Salem_. 

* * *

For the most part, the day had passed, and he began to get used to his new name, the only name he ever had. ‘ _Salem.’_ _Salem_ had been resting; he still felt sore even now, so he did his best not to move. 

Perne and Tina had left some time ago to guard the mansion from invaders, so he was laying down pretty much alone, save a few dancers roaming the halls. 

“Hello! I’m here because Perne told me to take care of you while he is guarding the mansion.” A white-haired-man said as he came into the room.

“Who are you?” Salem asked.

“The name’s Trude, people call me: ‘The man called Death itself,’ I’m part of Perne’s crew. And you are?” 

“Salem,” _Salem_ simply replied. That name felt foreign on his tongue, but in a good way, this name _Salem_ made him feel alive and free. He lay on the bed, feeling euphoric in a way; these new and different emotions made him feel like he was living. 

He never noticed it before, but he felt mindless when he was with the Loptyr Sect; he was not aware of their motives. When he was younger, he took it as normal and okay. 

He did not remember anything of his past. That made him wonder, what was his childhood like? How did he end up in the Loptyr church? Did he get kidnapped there? He could not remember anything past his life in the Loptyr Sect. 

His name, though, so familiar...unsure of how or why. He felt like he had another life before he was whisked away. Unfortunately, his mind failed him; he was still in pain to truly focus on his memories.

Salem blinked, awaking himself from his thoughts before he looked at Trude again. “Oh, I apologize. Do you need anything?” 

“I just came in to check in on you, don’t worry about me,” Trude replied.

Salem hummed in agreement before he faced the other way; he continued to remember his past. Before his eyelids fluttered closed and his thoughts died down along with his consciousness. 

* * *

A few hours passed, and Perne came back. Salem had jolted awake; he was extremely vulnerable from his near-death experience. He quickly blinked his eyes and looked at Perne, who was in the distance. As dusk fell, Salem suddenly had got a burst of energy; he felt better now. His injuries had healed. Running towards the entrance of the mansion where Perne was, he said. 

“Perne, your shift is done. Let me take over for you on the lookout.” 

Perne turned to him and sighed, “It’s already past dusk, Salem. How can you be this energetic now, especially with how bad you were fucked up?” 

Salem smiled, the first time he ever remembered smiling, “Come now, it was all thanks to you that I even managed to survive. I thought I would be left for dead had you not come to save me. I’ll be alright.” 

“Still, those Loptyrian lunatics are a sadistic bunch, ain't they? If I hadn’t had found you near the entrance of one of the Loptyr Churches, you would’ve been a goner for sure.”

He fell silent for a long moment before he let out a simple, straightforward reply, “The Loptyr Church _never_ forgives betrayal. That is one of their firmest beliefs.”

“‘Betrayal is a bit of a stretch, ain’t it?” Perne admitted, “I mean, you just wanted to leave the Church, that’s all. It ain't right to kill a man just because he wants to go his own way.” 

"That is not how it works. I’m afraid if anyone even shows any sign of questioning the ways of the Loptyr Cult. They’ll be punished.” 

“I heard the Loptyrian Bishops have more power than the Emperor himself; that’s an awful luxurious position to just walk away from. Why leave, then?”

“I no longer understood their ways. That was my reason. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Surely there has to be more than just ‘I no longer understood their ways.’” Perne responded, sounding disappointed at Salem’s answer. 

“Well...that’s more complicated, you see, I never questioned their ways at first; all they simply did was eliminate Sigurd’s army, because of their treacherous acts, and any threats to the empire. I never witnessed it myself. I was never in the Loptyr Sect at that time. However, I was just a mere child back when I was there. I thought this was all normal. As I grew older, I realized the church was trying to kidnap more children. They always did this, but the number of children they kidnapped and sacrificed skyrocketed. Those kids...seeing them made me...I don’t know how to say it. Sad? Familiar? It gave me a feeling that I’ve experienced it before.” 

“Ah...The child hunts, they’ve always been rumored, but that’s all I thought they were, just rumors. I think I understand now. You didn’t like seeing those kids being imprisoned waiting for their impending doom.”

“Exactly, something about seeing the mass increase of child hunts made me question the church. All of them would be sacrificed to Loptyr, to be turned into nothing but mindless slaves. I...I couldn’t stand seeing them trapped in cages anymore. So I rescued them, which ended up getting me caught.” 

“I see, you know, I like the cut of your jib, kid. How ‘bout I officially let you join me ‘n my crew? If you’re up for it, that is,” 

“I admit that your odd sense of ethics has not gotten unnoticed by me. So as long as you continue to abide by that code. I will agree to stay here.” 

“Hah, alright, anyway I’m going back inside. You get your wish. You’re on guard duty, okay?” 

* * *

As he was guarding the mansion, he came across a bunch of different people. The ones specifically were a young man with brown hair. And an older man atop a horse. 

Salem stumbled to grab his sleep staff, but then he realized it lost its power and broke. He then saw the mounted man come after him before he just barely dodged the blow.

“Finn, don’t kill him. He does not seem to be an enemy,” he said, stopping the man from attacking Salem. 

“Don’t come near me! No members of the Empire shall pass!” Salem shouted, shakily grabbing his Jormungand tome. 

“We are not part of the Empire!” The man said, “if anything, we are trying to free Thracia _from_ the Empire.” 

“I cannot trust you on that. Who are you exactly?” 

The moment he said that the young man grabbed Salem’s hands, restraining him, and said, “I’m Prince Leif of House Leonster.” 

“O-oh! S-so is this army, that's invading, the liberation army then?” 

Leif nodded before he then grabbed a rope and tied it between Salem’s hands, “Do not worry, we are not going to kill you.” 

“I-I’m supposed to defend the mansion!” 

“We’re taking you inside the mansion. Surely you can help us.”

* * *

Once Salem was free from the ropes, he led Leif and his army inside the mansion; it seemed Perne had lit off the torches. Fortunately, Salem had a Torch staff with him, so he lit up the staff and showed the way. “Perne is not a bad man. I can try to convince him.”

“You’re helping us out, Salem?”

Salem simply nodded, then they reached the entrance of the Dandelion hideout. He then overheard Leif speaking to a companion of his.

“What’s the matter, Lithis? You don’t look well.”

“Hey, princey… Could you switch me with someone else? I really don’t want to get involved.”

“You told me you grew up around here. Is something the matter?”

“Well… There’s this one guy I really don’t want to meet, and…”

He did not get a chance to hear the conversation, as he saw a small girl approach him, “Hey! Do you know of a man named Perne?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, I do. Do you want me to take you to him?”

“Yes, please. He’s not a bad man. I need to speak to him!”

“Oh? Do you know him?”

“Yes… Until a year ago, I was a dancer in a band of traveling entertainers. I hated it there, but since I was sold there for money when I was little, I couldn’t escape… But then Perne saved me from them.”

“He saved me from an awful experience too! I’ll warp you to him now if you’d like. Are you ready?”

“Yessir!” 

He then took Lara’s hand and used his Rewarp spell to the other side of the wall, where Perne was. 

“Perne! That’s enough! No more violence!!” Salem shouted. 

“Salem!? What the hell are you doing fightin’ with the enemy!? Did the Empire sell you out already?” 

“No. You got it all wrong, you idiot. These people aren’t with the Empire! This girl named Lara wanted to see you, so I decided to bring her with me too.”

“Perne!” Lara cried out.

“Hm? Oh, Lara… What are you doing here? Ah, I get it… You missed me so much, you just had to come back, right?”

“…What if I said yes?”

“Whoa, whoa, what’s with the serious look? I was joking. I don’t need a kid like you hovering around me. Go back to Manster.”

“So you’re driving me away again? I thought you liked me when I was dancing. You were watching me so intently…”

“Yeah, I didn’t know you were still a kid back then. Yup, you’re right, I liked your dancing. It’s, you know…energizing. It cheers you up. But you hated dancing, right? That’s why you quit.”

“…No… I actually like to dance. So… If you liked it, I could dance for you again.”

“What are you saying…?”

“No, not just for you… I want to cheer everyone up with my dancing...”

“By everyone, she means Prince’s Leif’s liberation army, do not worry, Perne, they’re no enemy of ours.”

“Liberation Army, huh?”

Lara nodded, “They’re people who share our value of independence.” 

“Yes, so please, Perne, join the Liberation army, won’t you?” Salem asked, “I’d be kinda lonely without you.” 

“Ah, Salem, that’s no fair! You know I’ve got a soft spot for ya! Alright, alright, we’ll do things your way. Lara, you can go back to dancing if it means so much to you.” 

“Oh, Perne, thank you!” Lara cheered. 

* * *

They were now defending the City of Tahra from the empire. Salem was struggling to dodge the ballistae due to his hefty tome. Asvel noticed this, “Hey! You are Salem, right?”

“The one and only!”

“Okay! I see you are having trouble wielding that tome!”

“Yeah, dark magic is kind of heavy and slow to use.”

“Can you use any other type of magic?”

“I have some training in thunder, fire, and wind magic!”

“Good! I wanted to give you this wind tome!”

“Thank you, Asvel!” Then he took the wind tome. It was way lighter than the Jormungand tome he had been carrying all this time. 

He held it and proceeded to launch a blow at a random soldier that was in the distance. The tome felt so easy to use, he almost thought he used this kind of tome before despite having no recollection of ever using one. Perhaps it was how light and mellow it was to use. 

Asvel tried to pick up the Dark tome Salem had left, but it was too heavy, and he dropped it immediately, “Oh wow, this is a lot heavier than I expected!” he exclaimed.

Salem chuckled and helped him lift the tome; they then went to the nearest shop and sold it. Salem thanked Asvel one more time, and they both continued fighting.

* * *

The Liberation Army was making its way to the south of Leonster, but first, they had to go through the dark forest. Treading through the dozens upon dozens of trees, trying to get out of the woods, it was not uncommon for a couple of people to have gotten lost. Salem was one of them.

Alone in the midst of the dark woods, he saw a flash of a warp spell; he jumped, anxious to know who was there. Then the figure came into view, a young girl, no more than twelve or thirteen years of age. Long purple hair that went almost down to the ground, eyes a deep purple and looked so blurry as though she were in some sort of trance. She held a rewarp staff in her small, pale hands.

“Wait, Lady Sara!?” Salem asked the little lilac haired girl, “what are you doing in a place like this?” 

Sara turned to him, not scared at all from hearing her name, cocking her head she replied, “I’m just going for a walk, I’m bored. Who are you? I don’t know you.” she spoke in a soft, eerie tone. 

“Ah, of course…” Salem sighed, realizing she did not recognize him, “you see, I once belonged to the Loptyr Church. But of course, the granddaughter of the Archbishop would have no reason to know of me.”

“Hmm...I see…” Her voice, so silent, so creepy, “well, just get out of my way. I’m looking for the voice of your master. I must find it…” 

He cocked his head upon hearing ‘master,’ “The...voice of my master...?” _‘Is she talking about Prince Leif?’_

Sara nodded, “Yes… it’s such a beautiful voice...and it’s calling to me for help…” 

“Uh...I-is that so…?” he asked before he realized, “wait. If you’re the granddaughter of Archbishop Manfroy, then you can use the Staff of Kaia...That’s it!” He grabbed her hand, trying to calm his head down to ask her more questions. 

She turned away from him, her rewarp staff in hand, “Mm...Bye-bye,” 

“Wait! Sara! I need to speak with you!” Salem uttered, “don’t go yet!” 

“Later…” she simply replied before she warped away, leaving Salem alone in the deep forest. 

He sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before looking around, grabbing his wind tome, and dashing off to find the rest of the army. He did not need to run for very long, though, because soon enough, he bumped into Leif as he was running. It caused him to fall to the ground.

“Oh! Good, I’ve found you, Salem.” Leif said, lending a hand to Salem, “we are almost at the end of the forest, hang in there.” 

Salem grabbed Leif’s hand and stood, “Good, I’ve been...getting lost... for a while now.” 

“By the way. This little girl came up to me a few moments ago before I found you. She claims to be looking for you.” 

“Does that girl happen to be Sara?” 

Leif nodded, “She mentioned you were once a part of the Loptyrian Church and that she recognized you almost.” 

_‘Well, that’s confusing. Why did she claim not to know who I was.’_ He thought, perplexed by this sudden new information. “That’s strange. She seemed so distant when we talked earlier. She told me she was looking for the voice of my master, was it you she was talking about…?” 

“She did tell me I had a wonderful voice. I would assume she was looking for me.”

“Well, where is she now? I need to speak to her!” Salem asked, trying to run past Leif to find her.

Leif blocked his path, “Salem, we don’t have time for this right now. We're on a mission to retake Leonster. You can talk with her when we get out of this forest and reach the southern gates of Leonster." 

Salem sighed, "I suppose I can wait…” 

Before long, the rest of the army had made it through the last of the forest. Salem quickly escaped, and he fell to his knees, burnt out. He relied on Karin to give him a ride just near the south of Leonster.

Then everyone reached the southern gates. Exhausted at how much fighting and moving through trees he had been doing, Salem decided to take a break. 

He missed being in Dacia. While the mansion’s size was huge, he at least had more comfort there than when he was in the Loptyr sect. He should have gotten used to sleeping in a tent by now, and yet he still had restless nights more often than not. 

Salem then remembered Sara wanted to speak to him. He then went to her, "Lady Sara! I'm here. What did you wish to speak with me about?" He asked.

Sara looked at him, confused, "I don't remember saying anything about that." She said as she looked away.

"But Lord Leif, told me you wanted to speak with me."

"No, I didn't," Sara said, shaking her head. She then turned around and walked away.

"Lady Sara, wait!" Salem shouted, but the girl had already left. He was confused, "I don't understand this girl." He said under his breath.

* * *

Seven months had passed, Leonster was now liberated, and Seliph came to help Leif defending It from Alster’s forces. Leif had continued his quest to rescue his lost companion, Eyvel. The liberation army made its way underneath Manster. The final step to liberate the Thracian peninsula was near; they faced Veld, the administrator of all of the Loptyr Cult's activities in the Manster District . Salem confronted him.

“Heh, heh, heh... You dare to cross me? Don't you know the power I wield? Let me show you just what a grave mistake you've made!”

“Veld! You will pay for what you and the Cult did to the people of Manster!” 

“Look who we have here? The traitor!” Veld said upon noticing Salem. “How foolish, you know full well that if you left the Sect, you would get killed. That time has finally come!”

“The suffering and pain you’ve brought to everyone ends here!”

“Nothing matters as long as it is in the service of the Dark God, Loptyr.”

Salem then readied his Elwind tome and blasted a blow of wind against Veld. The attack hit him, but Veld didn’t seem to be damaged by it.

“You…”

“That’s right! You cannot do anything to me! Now you will be turned into my own personal statue!”

Salem grunted. He didn’t know what to do. But then, he saw Perne. Perne grabbed his sword and slashed it left, then down, then up. Veld was weakened now. Then the thief turned to Salem and shouted, “Salem! Do something!” 

Stumbling a little, he grabbed his Wind tome and used the last of its power to launch the final blow on Bishop Veld. The blast hit him, and Veld hunched down in pain.

“Gah... This isn't the end! Even if you kill me, Loptyr is eternal... and the rebirth of his empire is nigh!”

Then, Veld was finally defeated. Salem felt relieved. The tome he had used lost its power. He dropped it, knelt, and looked at Veld’s dead body. “So long, Veld.” he softly said.

Perne then ran to Salem, “Don’t danger yourself like that again, okay kid? If you were to have been turned to stone, I don’t know what I’d do.” 

“Even with me being turned to stone, Sara would have been able to remove me from it.” He replied bluntly. 

“That’s beside the point. Just please don’t danger yourself. I know you’re confident, but I don’t want you to get fucked up again.” 

“I suppose you’re right, Perne. I hope you don’t danger yourself again, either. You were the one who saved me from dying, after all.” 

Leif ran toward them, “You two! Get out of here! Now!” 

Salem turned to Leif, confused, then looked up. The room was about to cave in. Quickly Salem got up and ran, Perne following behind him. Before they even reached the exit, they saw all the different rooms crash down into nothing but rubble. 

They finally reached the exit; once Salem did, he looked back. He was panicked, dare he say it, he kept looking at the room that was tumbling down into bricks and dust. He only stopped looking when Perne grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the exit of the room. Then the place was closed up—no way to enter now. 

Salem took some breaths to calm down. When he was in the moment, he was terrified, but now he was okay. He then turned to Perne and Leif, “...It’s done…” 

* * *

The entire Thracian peninsula was restored, and Salem was unsure if he wanted to continue staying with Leif’s army to defeat Julius and the Loptyr Church leader, Manfroy. Or just settle down and pursue something else. He wished to write memoirs of his life in the Church, so people could know what it was like for him to be there. 

But that made him think, ‘ _I still cannot remember a thing about my childhood, how would I be able to tell people how I ended up there?’_ He needed to know his name, not Salem, but the name he had as a child. And he knew the perfect person to ask. Sara. 

Sara would know, or at least she would know something through Manfroy. She was his only way to find out what had happened to him before he joined - if he even joined - the Cult. 

“Sara!” Salem quickly opened the door to one of the rooms in Manster and rushed toward the little girl, desperate for answers, “Do you know anything? Is there even _anything_ about the Loptyr Church’s Bishops’ birth names?” 

“Salem...please do not come to me unnoticed,” she said, no fear came from her voice, “But yes, in my grandfather’s workplace, there's a book full of names. I would assume that is the list you are looking for?” 

“Can you...please grab it for me? If it is still there?” he pleaded. 

“Mm. I will try it. I assume it is still where grandfather left it last. I hope he is not there at this time.” Then she disappeared for a small moment before returning again, a sizable book in hand, “Here it is!” 

“Thank you so much!” Salem said, “do you want me to give this back to you after I am done with it?” 

“It would be the best option. Knowing grandfather, he would probably get angry if he saw that it went missing.”

“Mm, alright then, I will give it back to you as soon as possible!” Salem replied.

Salem then ran out of the room, book tightly in his arms before he ran to a library, he was unsure if he should’ve been there, but it was quiet enough for him to focus. “Now...let’s see,” 

He then opened the book and started searching. Fortunately, these names were in alphabetical order. He knew that the name Salem sounded familiar to him, so he had the feeling he should start with the letter 'S.’ He looked through many names, he paid close attention to each of them, but none of them sparked any memory within him. He hit names that start with ‘Se,’ he began to slide his finger onto the page with the 'Se' names. Trying to find any of those names that would spark anything, then, at the very end of the page, his finger came across the name _Seriam_.

_Seriam,_ that was it. His birth name was _Seriam_. It all came back to him, his memories, his childhood, even that fateful night. It was like that name held his memories. _Salem_ focused on that memory. That night, he was in the Loptyr Cult. 

* * *

_Darna, he lived in Darna, close to the Yied Desert. The year was Grann 764. Seriam was only twelve years of age then._

_They lived in a simple cabin, about six miles away from the city itself. Lydia and Vale were always the ones who would run off to the town, and Seriam would go with them to keep watch. Some days they would go far away from home, it was always a risky move, but they still made it back home safely before bedtime._

_One day, however, their mother told them that Loptyrians were hanging around Yied, there always were, but there were many of them this time. Unfortunately, the three were too reckless; they were all very young, after all._

_Seriam was playing with his two younger siblings, Lydia and Vale. He was always protective of them whenever their mother and father were away._

_“Seriam, please take care of your brother and sister whenever you go out, far away from home.” His mother would tell him._

_“Of course, mother! If any Dark Bishop gets in our way, I’ll try and fend them off with my magic!”_

_“Sweetie, Loptyr Bishops are almost immune to any spell except for the rare light magic. Your simple Wind tome will do little to nothing, so please, Seriam. If you see one, run as fast as you can.”_

_“I will. If I see one, I will try and escape but don’t they have rewarp? That spell that can teleport them anywhere?”_

_“Your father taught you the spell, too, did he not?”_

_“Yes, but I can only make it work with the staff in hand. I don't think I’d be able to warp Lydia and Vale away and myself at the same time.”_

_“Well...then the best solution is to stay around here. Going to the city might be too risky.”_

_“You’re right, mother. I’ll just stay here.”_

_Just then, the little girl and boy ran into the room, “Seriam, brother! Do you want to go play with us?”_

_“Of course! But let us stay near here. I don’t want you two to be in danger.”_

_“We will!!” They both cheered in unison._

_Then the three children ran outside to play tag, their favorite game: tag, a perfect game to play through the many places in Darna. Vale, the youngest, poked Seriam’s arm._

_“Tag! You’re it!” the boy giggled before running off._

_“Oh, come on! I wasn’t ready!” Seriam laughed, then he chased after his siblings._

* * *

_The sun was setting, the sky had turned to bright orange. Seriam finally stopped playing after playing with them for almost hours on end. Seriam sat down and took some breaths, trying to regain energy. He ended up running four miles away from his home. His brother and sister ran toward him._

_“Brother! Are you okay?” Lydia asked._

_“Yes, I’m okay, just tired out,” he huffed. When he finally regained his energy, he said, “We should head back home. Mom is probably waiting for us; we took too long playing._

_“Okay! Can we play more again tomorrow? I still need to catch you!” Vale chirped._

_Seriam smiled before getting up and picking his little brother up in his arms, “Of course, Vale. You two are the best.”_

_The three of them laughed and then walked a long way back home; by the time they reached their home, it was long dark. Seriam opened the front door and turned on the lights, “Mother? We’re back! Sorry, it took us so long!”_

_But instead of the usual chirp from their mother, there was silence, not even a word from father. He put Vale down and walked, then he saw Lydia swiftly run to their mother and father’s room. Seriam followed her and peeked through the doorway; he lit up a candle and saw nobody there. They were gone. But how?_

_“Help!! Brother! Sister!” Vale screamed from the other room, immediately Seriam dashed to his little brother. And what he saw terrified him, ‘A Loptyrian Bishop!’ “Vale! Stay back!” he grabbed a warp staff, “You and Lydia need to escape! What will happen to me, I don't know, but I need you two to be safe!”_

_“But, big brother!” Vale cried, “I want you to come with us!”_

_“Vale! He’ll be okay! He’ll return for us, I know it!” Lydia held Vale’s hands, “Seriam, my brother. Come back for us.”_

_“I will try…” Seriam closed his eyes, recited a chant, and then his two siblings were warped away. He looked toward the Loptyr Bishop and grabbed his Wind tome, “You will never, EVER, hurt my brother and sister again!” He shot a gust of wind, more potent than the other times he’s used the tome._

_He was not going to run, even if he got killed or captured. He just wanted his siblings to be safe. His heart raced; he almost knew he would die. He knew that the bishop would kill him. He took a step back, and when he turned around, he saw another one. Before he could try and attack the other one, dark magic hit him, then again, and then another time._

_Seriam was not going to give up, but he couldn’t try anymore; he fell to the ground, weakened. “Lydia...Vale...live on…” Before he was hit with another spell, then everything went black._

* * *

“Salem! Salem!” 

_Salem_ jumped, awoken from his flashback, he blinked, he felt a few teardrops come out from his eyes. Before, he looked to see who it was. Perne. “Perne! Wh-what are you doing here?” 

“I was gonna ask you if you were going to contribute to the Holy War or if you were going to settle down and not involve yourself in the war? But I couldn’t find you. I looked every inch of the castle for you. That Sara girl told me where you went. And, well, now I’m here.” 

“Oh! Well, I just…” _Salem_ cut himself off. Should he really tell Perne his childhood? Or even his real name? Does he even want to keep his birth name? 

“Salem, you’re acting strange. I came down here and saw you zoned out, and now, you look terrified.” 

“Yes...I know...I just...I remembered everything, my birth name, my family, my past. I don’t know how or what to feel right now.” 

“That’s good, ain't it? I mean, you’ve been struggling to remember who you were as a child? Right?” 

“I really just remembered my life as a Loptyr Bishop. I never paid much attention to it until now. Now I remember the awful things they did to my family and me. I was kidnapped and experimented on. Then I was taken away. I only pray Lydia and Vale lived on.” he felt that sting, that sting of tears, still so different for him, “Perne...should I have just lived never knowing my life before I got taken away?” 

“That, I am unsure about, but all I can give you is that you still have time to start anew. Even with your memories intact now.” 

_Salem_ clenched his fists, tears falling down his face, “Manfroy...Manfroy must pay...I need to save the children that are being hunted down...” 

“Woah woah woah! Calm down there, kid! That’s not an easy task; if Veld was hard by himself, Manfroy is ten times tougher.”

“Then...at the very least I need to save the children from being left for dead. As I once was…”

“Oh, that reminds me; by the way, what is your birth name? I think you told me the name Salem was familiar to you.” Perne asked, changing the subject. 

“Ah, it’s Seriam,” 

“Oh! Should I call you Seriam from now on, then?”

_Salem_ thought about it for a long moment, because at one point, he did want to be called by _‘Seriam’_ but then he realized he lived most of this life as Salem, “No, you can still call me Salem, I prefer it because the Dandelion gave it to me!”

“Alright then, Salem, it is!” Perne said, nudging Salem’s arm. 

“To answer your question before, I am going with Leif to end this war in Seliph’s own liberation army.”

“Oh, really? Then, let me go with you,”

“Perne...I really appreciate that!” 

“You are my dear friend. I would never abandon you!” Perne smiled.

It was that moment that something inside him fluttered. Perne made him happy; they both fought by each other’s side for almost every battle. He felt like it was fate that they met because Perne saved his life. Without that, he would have never found out who he was. Perhaps, he was gathering feelings toward Perne? These feelings - along with many others - were something he had never felt before. 

“I won’t abandon you either,” Salem replied, almost euphoric. 

* * *

“Prince Seliph. Perne and I would like to accompany you and Leif to fight in The Holy War.” 

Seliph turned and saw the two boys, “Of course, are you sure you are willing to fight another war?” 

Salem nodded, “Yes, I want to save children from these horrendous childhunts. I don’t want them to suffer anymore.”

“Well, you’re most certainly welcome to come along.” 

“Thank you, Prince Seliph. I’ll make sure to tell Leif the news as well.” 

"Sounds good!"

They then ran to where Leif was, “Prince Leif, allow us to accompany you to fight against the Empire," Salem said, gripping Perne’s hands tightly. 

“Perfect, that works well nicely. You’re one of the more reliable mages in the army.” 

"It's an honor, Prince!"

"I sure am surprised that Perne came along. I assumed you would've gone on your own path."

“Well, I decided to watch over Salem here. He can't be left on his own! I need to make sure he doesn’t get jacked up again!” Perne chuckled.

“My friend, you did not have to do that, but thank you,” Salem replied.

Leif smiled at the two, “Well, I’m glad to have you two back!” 

* * *

If he was honest, he never thought he’d make it this far. 

After King Travant and Arion were defeated and the Thracia peninsula was unified. Salem and Seliph's army were now in Miletos. He was in charge of bringing children back to their homes. He saved the children in the village near Chronos. “I’m here to save you, little ones. I’m part of the Liberation Army!” He told them. 

"Thank you, sir!" 

Seeing these children be saved, he thought of Lydia and Vale. He wanted to reunite with them whenever that would be. His sister always wanted to be a fire mage, and his little brother, well, Vale, was too small to really have an idea of what he wanted to use. So, Salem always kept an eye out for any mage who seemed potent in fire spells. 

Even after years had passed since he saw them, he still had hoped they were alive; Lydia would be a wonderful big sister to Vale, he knew it. She was only nine years old at the time of Salem’s capture, but she could hold on her own; at least, he hoped she could. Children at that age shouldn't be left on their own like that.

Just then, he saw horsemen running into the village, attempting to kill the children. Salem panicked, his body shaking almost instantly; those children did not deserve to die. He grabbed a Tornado tome and proceeded to launch a massive gust of wind at them. The entire village shook as the small yet strong tornado hit the horsemen, causing them to be dismounted from their mounts, fatally injured.

He then saw a Dracoknight approach him, Altena, Leif’s older sister, Who helped finish off the rest of the enemies who were still alive and well.

“Good job, Salem! Thanks to you, all these children are safe!" Altena exclaimed.

Salem nodded, “Yes, thank you for ensuring their safety, too.” 

“Now we must defeat Hilda of House Friege. She has been very present in the multiple childhunts in Grannvale. We must stop her."

“Alright, let’s move.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

They have come this far; now, they have freed most of Grannvale. The Holy War was about to end. Now, came the master of it all, Manfroy, leader of the Loptyr Cult. 

Salem had asked Seliph to let him come along. He needed to confront Manfroy and get answers from him. 

“Oh! So it is the traitor who took Veld down!" Manfroy chuckled.

“Manfroy, I will never forgive you and the Loptyr Church for what you did to my family all those years ago!" Salem shouted.

“I see you have regained your memories! Manfroy chuckled. "Now, tell me Salem, or should I say, Seriam. What made you resist the propaganda? The commands?”

“Those children...those children...I couldn’t stand myself and other bishops, killing them to sacrifice to Loptyr...” 

“Those children were nothing but sacrifices to our Dark god! They were meaningless!"

“I will defeat you. That way, I can finally see my siblings.” 

“Oh, those useless brats? They are long dead!” Manfroy cackled. 

Salem dropped his tome, everything just shattered, he felt his entire body give out, he fell down, and landed on his knees, “I...How? I…I warped them away...” 

“They were looking for you out in Manster when they had learned you were taken away to the Loptyr Church all those years ago. Oh, they were so eager to see their ‘big brother’ again, so a few Loptyr cultists and I led them to their inevitable doom. And I did the honor of killing them before you left the Church. That girl, Lydia, was it? She tried to fight me; she was desperate for answers of ‘Seriam’s’ whereabouts. Let’s just say she should’ve picked up a different way of fighting because her magic did nothing! The boy, on the other hand, cowered in fear, all he could use was staves, and they weren’t even the good ones! Hahaha!” 

“Don’t blame Vale for anything! He was still learning!” Salem shouted. Tears fell from his eyes upon doing so. 

He shouldn't have been so vulnerable. He was weak, and that was how Manfroy would attack him. Manfroy took advantage of his memories and his love for his dear siblings. Because that was Manfroy; he’d blackmail, manipulate, and take advantage of people. At that moment, he was hit with a Fenrir tome, “Agh!” he shouted in agony. It felt worse when he felt emotional pain too.

“Salem!” Seliph shouted, “get up! I can’t let you die!”

_‘He’s right, Salem, get up! You can’t let your sibling's death go in vain!’_ his subconscious told him. With that, he raised himself off of the ground, weakened from the blow. 

He was in too much pain to fight; however, he allowed himself to just stand still. He couldn’t fight anymore. He had to get away; he would die if he let himself be stuck in this state. “Manfroy...Go. To. Hell.” he growled with little strength he had. Before he warped himself back to Friege.

____________________________________________________________________________

Upon landing back in Friege, he fell to the floor of the main hall. Luckily, a couple of healers found him and carried him quickly to a hospital bed. Naga was he in utter pain, and heartbroken too. Soon enough, Perne came into the room; he looked shocked, “Salem!! Oh, gods Salem!” 

“Ah...Perne…” Salem looked over to the rogue, tears still gushing his eyes, “I failed…” 

“Salem, what happened? You were so confident of getting answers, and now you’re in pain! Did Manfroy do something to you!?”

“Perne...I couldn’t...I couldn’t save them…” 

“You couldn’t save who?” 

At that moment, Salem broke, he started _crying,_ really crying, “I-I couldn’t save my, my siblings…They’re gone...” 

Perne then took Salem’s shaky hand tightly, “Lydia and Vale, correct?” 

He nodded, “Manfroy...he killed them…” the tears did not stop as he held onto Perne’s hand, “I wish I went with them. I would have protected them. All I cared for was their safety, and look where that brought them?” 

“Hey...Hey...Salem, it’s going to be alright.” he looked around and saw that the clerics had left, “why don’t you get some rest? You look to be in terrible pain.” 

Salem hummed in agreement, feeling a little better thanks to Perne, “I think I will…”

“Good, I’ll check up on you later.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

The next time he awoke, he felt as if he went back in time. 

His eyes slowly opened, and he sat up, looking around. He was no longer in the emergency bed. He was... in the mansion? Perplexed, he got out of the bed and opened the door; he felt a little lightheaded from having just woken up. 

When he opened the door and left the room, he knew where he was. He was again in the mansion. _‘But how? It’s so far up east. How long was I out? Did someone take me here?’_ He walked around more and then saw Perne; his heart skipped a beat. 

“P-Perne? Wh-where am I? What h-happened?” 

Perne instead ran to Salem and hugged him tightly, “Salem! You’re okay now!” 

“Y-yeah, I’m okay. But why am I back here? What about the war?” 

“The war has ended, now everyone is helping rebuild Jugdral. On the other hand, I wish to disappear from the pages of history, so I returned here. As for why I brought you here, you were out cold the past couple of days, so I simply just brought you here to tend to the last of your injuries.”

Salem’s heart started racing, “I-I, thank you, Perne. I...I think I’m okay now...”

“I’m glad Salem, I was honestly worried for you.” 

“But where do I go now? I have no place to go…” 

“Well, I mean, you can always stay with me if you’re willin’.”

_‘What are these feelings? I feel so...happy and content, but also anxious…’_ Salem felt himself shake again, “P-Perne I-. I’d like that. A lot.” 

“Ya feelin’ okay there?” Perne asked, sounding concerned.

“I-I I am feeling some odd feelings...these are foreign to me. I-I, I feel so excited but so...terrified.” 

“It’s alright, Salem. You can tell me how you feel.” He held Salem close to him, and Salem felt that same euphoric feeling again.

“Perne. I think. I think I love you. These feelings are so new to me but, I think I have gathered feelings for you. Is that strange of me?”

“Strange? No, no, not at all! You shouldn’t be ashamed of your feelings. Don’t bother fitting in, be like me, I am who I am,” he replied. Salem felt a weight off his shoulders at that moment, “and honestly…” he whispered, cupping his cheek, “I feel the same way about you too.”

“Oh! Perne!” Salem cheered before Perne pulled him into a kiss. Salem felt as though he were in heaven.

________________________________

The year was 778, early summer. 

Seriam Ventus Tenebris finally made tombs for his departed siblings. After years of not doing so.

He placed dandelions on each of the tombstones. Both read the full names of his brother and sister.

_Lydia Ardor Tenebris._

_Vale Sacris Tenebris._

Seriam sighed. Finally finished, he closed his eyes and folded his hands to pray, not sure to whom, but to one of the gods out there. ‘Lydia, Vale, my siblings. I hope you’ll watch over me as I live a new life, in your names.’ 

Opening his crimson eyes, he looked and saw Perne walking over to him. “Hey loooovely, how's everything holding up for ya?”

“Hehehe hey Pan-Pan. I suppose it’s alright. I pray my family is resting peacefully.” 

“They are; I’m sure they’ll be waiting for your return. But right now, we have each other.” 

Seriam - no, _Salem_ \- looked over at his beloved. “Yes...I suppose I’ll just have to wait.” he then stood, and Perne did the same, “but right now, Perne, I want to stay with you. Will you promise me you’ll stay with me, Pan-Pan?”

“Awww, Salem, you’re getting all sappy again. You know I get all soft when you’re like that,” Perne laughed before he then picked up Salem bridal-style, “but yes, I’ll be with you until the end of time, my sweet.” Then he kissed him before Salem huddled up closely, and they went back inside. 

________________________________ ______________________________________________

_Salem - From Dark to Light & Perne - Bandit of Dacia _

_While Perne disappeared from history. Salem would go out into towns sometimes; he wrote memoirs of his life in the Loptyr Sect. He would go out of Dacia to share his memoirs around Jugdral. And villagers would ask of Perne’s whereabouts. There were rumors from many people around the villages of Dacia that Salem and Perne were living together. But it was never confirmed nor denied. Whenever people asked the mage, he would just smile and disappear into the shadows for months._

______________________________________________________________________________

_Shine a light in the dark_

_Let me see where you are_

_'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Decided to call Salem’s Name ‘Seriam’ which is similar to his Japanese name ‘Seiram’ so yeah. I hope you liked my idea. And the Salem x Perne part at the end! 
> 
> Lydia and Vale are Salem’s/Seriam’s younger brother and sister. I plan to expand more on them and maybe make a fic where they don’t die so yes.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the fic💞


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